Forgranted
by elitejace452
Summary: Someone takes Spike, someone with a personal grudge against the SRU. Can SRU Team One find him in time?
1. Gone

A/N: I am totally obsessed with this show! I don't know how my life was complete without it! : ) I hope this isn't too bad, or OOC, I love Spike. I love Winnie, but I miss Kira, so I wrote her instead of Winnie. I hope it isn't too bad, this was written in kind of a hurry.

A/N 2: There is going to be violence and some cussing.

* * *

><p>Spike set out on his daily run, pounding the frustrations from his head. He spent as little time as he could in his parent's house these days. The tension between him and his father was almost unbearable. He tuned out the rest of the world as he turned towards the lake front. He always took a second to watch the reflection of the sunrise in the lake. When he passed the black SUV parked next to the curb, he barely paid any attention to it. Not until it was too late.<p>

* * *

><p>"Gentlemen!" Ed Lane exclaimed as he strode into the men's locker room. Izzy was finally letting her mom and dad get more than four hours of sleep. Wordy was buttoning up his shirt and Greg wasn't in sight, which meant he had been here for a long time already. Sam was lacing his boots up and Lou was just shutting his locker door, already completely dressed.<p>

"Did you see Spike?" Wordy asked as Ed threw his bag down on the bench, shrugging his jacket off his shoulders one at a time.

"No?" He made the word into a question, looking around for their technical genius. Normally Spike was in here joking around or scheming with Lou. Lou shrugged his shoulders, they had hung out for a while last night, but he had headed home shortly before midnight.

"He's late." Greg commented, coming up behind Ed. "Hey Eddy." He patted Ed on the shoulder as he leaned against the row of lockers. "Anybody seen Spike this morning?" He said louder so the rest of the team could hear. The rest of the men on Team One shook their heads.

"He's not normally late." Wordy looked concerned. He stuck his head out of the men's locker room, just in time to see Jules walk out of the women's locker room. "Spike isn't with you, is he?"

"Um no, where is he?" Jules looked worried, looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't about to be the recipient of some joke. It wasn't like Spike to be late. Spike was typically the first one of them there other than Sarge.

* * *

><p>"Just tape his legs together and tie his wrists with this rope." The man threw a bag containing a roll of tape, handcuffs and some strips of cloth at the older man. His hands were shaking slightly as he fixed the gag around the unconscious man's mouth. He had never done anything like this before.<p>

"How long is he going to be here?" The older man, known to his friends as Brown, was shaking. He was known on the streets for being very familiar with drugs, but kidnapping a cop, that was out of his ballpark. He knew he shouldn't have allowed himself to get into debt to the fellow drug dealer.

"As long as it takes, now shut up." Theo, the younger drug dealer had a lot of influence on the streets. Brown had learned to shut his mouth around him. He may be older than Theo, but Theo had more power than Brown could ever imagine and Brown was very glad he wasn't the cop lying before them right now.

"Kira, has Spike called?" Ed asked as the boys filed out of the dressing room, followed closely by Jules. Spike had still not shown up and everyone was trying not to get worried. Maybe he had fallen ill and hadn't been able to call in yet. There were a variety of reasons why Spike might be late, not all of them bad. Wordy had his eyes glued to the doors, hoping against hope the doors would bust open and Spike would come stumbling in with some hilarious story about why he was late.

"Nope, was he supposed to?" Kira looked at the phone lines, but there was no new messages waiting for her. She hadn't seen the man either today, now that she thought about it. He always had a smile for her.

"He's late." Kira's expression was shocked. She hadn't been here incredibly long, but she knew that Spike was not one to be late.

"I'll give him a call." She kept her voice level, not betraying the worry she felt. The phone went straight to voicemail, never a good sign. "It went straight to voicemail."

"If he doesn't call or show up in the next ten minutes, I want Lou and Wordy to run by his house." Greg tried to shake the bad feelings deep in his gut. "For all we know, he slept through his alarm." Everyone shifted their eyes, knowing deep inside, Spike hadn't slept through his alarm.

* * *

><p>Kira let out a small scream, sending all of Team One sprinting towards the desk. They had been sitting in the briefing rooms, all silently thinking about their own fears about where Spike was.<p>

"What's wrong Kira?" Wordy asked as he knelt beside the startled cop. She was trying not to hyperventilate as she pointed at the picture on the desk. "Oh my god." Wordy exclaimed as he looked at the picture.

"Don't touch it." Greg exclaimed as Jules went to pick the picture up, "There might be fingerprints."

"Sorry boss." Jules muttered, trying to blink tears away. All the things she knew to do as a cop went out the door the second she saw the picture. Spike's arms were handcuffed behind him, his legs tied together, and a gag shoved in his mouth.

"Call in teams two and four. We need all hands on deck." Greg ordered a surprised Kira who nodded but snatched the phone, dialing the numbers as fast as she could. She was also blinking back tears. It was no hidden secret that Spike nursed a small sweet spot for the dispatcher, always bringing her coffee and hanging out around her desk before and after shift.

"We need to get some detectives down here now." Ed added. He pulled Jules towards him in a one-armed hug. Spike and Jules had bonded the first day they had joined the SRU and now considered each other siblings. Jules hid her hand in Ed's vest, trying to hide her tears from the rest of the team.

"Who the hell would take Spike?" Sam was pissed, trying to rein in his anger at whoever had taken Spike. That was his buddy, his friend somewhere, hurt, and they hadn't even known.

"We're going to figure this out." Greg was trying to stay cool, but when his team was involved, he knew it became personal for every cop out there.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure they've gotten the package by now." Theo smirked, twirling a knife in his hand as he looked over at the now conscious Spike. Spike's eyes were big, his nostrils flared as he tried to control the fear. In all of his years of being a cop and a member of the SRU, he had never been in a situation like this.<p>

"Can I go now?" Brown was pacing back and forth. He knew that if he was still here when the cops caught up, he would be going away for a long time. He knew that Theo had a personal beef with the cop that was trussed up before them.

"No, shut the fuck up and sit down." Theo pointed the knife in Brown's direction. "You will stay here until I tell you." Brown let out a nervous twitch of a nod and sank down in the dilapidated chair that was in the corner. "And you?" He let out an evil smile as he advanced on Spike, carefully twisting the multitude of rings on his fingers. "Well, we need to get you ready for your next photo shoot."


	2. Revenge

A/N: Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but hope you guys like it. Please review! I know it's taking me a while, but I am a freshman in college and I'm adjusting to my new life!

* * *

><p>Spike hadn't ever hurt this bad in his life, not even after his first day in the police academy when his instructor had made them do wind sprints until more than half the class had ended up puking. His chest and stomach were on fire. He had lost count of how many times the man had punched and kicked him. His face had taken a few of the blows and the skin underneath where the man's rings had connected with his face had peeled away. He was almost positive that he had heard his nose pop somewhere during the beating. He hoped the tem would come and get him out of here soon.<p>

"Smile for your picture." Theo said with a wicked smile, quickly capturing Spike's bloodied and bruised face with the old timey Polaroid camera. Spike shuddered, swallowing the bile that rose up in his throat. They normally dealt with people who were caught up in bad moments in their life, but this man had chosen to take him. This man had planned this. The man had planned to take him. This man obviously wasn't scared of anything, which made him the worst kind of criminal.

"You, you, ah, gonna kill him?" Spike hadn't heard the other man's name, but he had nicknamed him Broad, because of the man's huge shoulders. Spike wondered when the team would realize he was gone. He didn't know what this man wanted with him, but it seemed personal. The team made tough calls every day, but this didn't seem like a man driven too far by one of the team's decisions.

"If he's lucky." The man growled as he lit a cigarette. This was taking longer than he thought it would. The package should have been delivered by now. He had made sure of that with the $1,000 bonus he had given the surprised delivery man. Everything was going to go his way today. He was getting antsy and if a certain somebody didn't contact him soon, he would be forced to do more damage to the helpless constable before him.

* * *

><p>"When was the last time you talked to Spike?" Greg asked the frantic Mrs. Scarletti. Tears had started pouring down her cheeks the second Spike's teammates had showed up at the door. She could see through the curtain on the door the worry and panic in their eyes. She was pacing back and forth, occasionally uttering something in Italian as she looked Spike's picture framed on the wall. It had been taken the day that Spike had graduated from high school. His arms were thrown around her and his father, and he had a large silly grin on his face. It sent pain shooting through Ed's body every time he looked it. They had to get Spike back.<p>

"I, I, I don't know!" Mrs. Scarletti threw her arms up, letting them fall limply back to her side. She remembered listening until she heard the creak of the stairs that signaled Spike had left for his morning run. It had become her own personal alarm. "He, he went for his run. He goes every morning." She had no idea where her little boy was and it seemed that no one else did either. She was just praying that her little boy came home in one piece.

"It's okay Mrs. Scarletti." Greg sighed heavily. They had the note with the directions and the picture, but there had been no fingerprints on the note or the picture. Whoever had done this had thought it through, which made it that much more dangerous for Spike.

"We're gonna bring him home." Ed said as he stormed from the house, unable to take the worry that had filled the house, pressing down on his shoulders. He had been the one who pointed Spike out during one of their recruiting runs. Spike had been the quiet one who didn't look like he could swat a fly, but he had surprised them all. He had spouted off facts that had left everyone's jaws dropping. He had been a powerhouse on the team for the ten years he had served with them. Ed wasn't about to lose him now.

* * *

><p>"We're sorry to call you in on your days off." Jules announced the gathered group of SRU members. Most of them were clutching cups of Timmy's and had worried expressions on their faces. Every team member was crammed into the briefing room. Greg had left Jules, Wordy, and Sam in charge of organizing the teams while he and Ed went to talk to Spike's parents. They had decided to send out two of the teams on patrols around the city, which allowed the SRU to be ready for any other hot calls and kept the teams mobile.<p>

"Just tell us what we can do." Troy spoke up. His entire team was standing along the back of the room. Troy looked beyond pissed. He was pretty good friends with Spike and he wanted to shoot the son-of-a-bitch that took Spike.

"Teams three and four will be hitting the streets. Team leaders can divide their teams." Chairs scraped as both teams got on their feet and assembled in the back of the room. The two teams of men nodded as they filed from the room, the atmosphere somber and heavy with tension.

* * *

><p>AN: It pains me to hurt Spike... Chapter 3 will be up faster than this one!


	3. Hurting

A/N: Thanks so much for all of the story alerts/favorites/author alerts! I hope you enjoy this chapter (full of whump!) and it's probably only going to be a few more chapters. Thanks for keeping with me! References/Spoilers to "Element of Surprise", cussing..and as always, I apologize for the long delays! ((sorry about the wide array of names for theo right now))

* * *

><p>Mitaya: Thanks! It's a completely different world than high school! I hope you also enjoy this chapter.<p>

rgs38: Sorry for it being so short! I was just trying to get something out to you guys. Thanks! I totally understand the over-exhaustion. I have noisy neighbors above me and they are always up until like 5!

Andorian Ice Princess-AIP: I'm going to have to run and hide after you read this chapter! I've taken it down a darker road. Epp! Troy is SO sexy…I hope we see more of him this season. Thanks :)

LaneIA: Thanks for your review :) I definitely have to agree, whumped Spike is just sexy. Thanks again!

* * *

><p>"Well it's about damn time!" Theo pulled the buzzing phone from his pocket, looking at the caller ID. "Looks like you mean something to your silly team after all." He smirked as he flipped his phone open. "Hello?" He answered, his voice oozing false innocence.<p>

"Is this Theodore Acker?" Greg's voice had hooded panic in it. He was hoping beyond hope that no harm had come to Spike. The letter had been very plain. It had contained a name, number and the message, "call and he lives for a few more hours." They had tried to avoid calling and potentially putting more people in danger, but there hadn't been a way around it. There had been no fingerprints, nothing special about the paper, and they were still tracking down the delivery guy who had dropped off the package. It seemed they hit dead ends everyway they turned. They had absolutely nothing towards finding Spike and had had no other options but to call.

"The one and only!" Theo's voice was joyous. He knew they were incredibly desperate and out of options if they had called him. It meant that he was going to get what he wanted. It was Christmas as a child, They didn't have a choice if they wanted to see their precious team member again. He knew they would do whatever it took to get him back. He could make almost any demand now and he would get it, but he had a mission. He knew what he had to do.

"What can we do for you Mr. Acker?" Greg's voice was cautious. The man wasn't on the grid at all. He was squeaky clean. No prior arrests, no parking citations, nothing to indicate why he had snatched a valued SRU team member and started making demands. The entire team was huddled around the phone. They just wanted to know that Spike was okay and they would have him back in one piece.

"You have someone I want Sergeant Parker." Greg tried to not let the surprise show on his face. This man knew who they were, which increased how dangerous he was to them.

"Who is that Mr. Acker?" Greg asked as he motioned for Wordy to write on the whiteboards they had set up. Wordy nodded and moved silently over towards the whiteboard, ready to write down anything useful.

"His name is Sean Kennan." Ed looked shocked. He remembered that day so well. He could still see the light fading from Jackson's eyes. What did this man want with the dangerous drug lord who was now locked up behind several sets of bars, serving so many years Ed could barely wrap his head around the concept of it. Ed remembered the court trial. The jury had taken twenty minutes to find Kennan guilty of more than fifteen felonies.

"Who is he?" Greg asked, trying to keep him on the phone longer. The tech shook his head though when the team looked at him though. They were no closer to finding the man's position than when the phone call had started. The man had taken a lot of precautions. He was having his phone signal bounced off towers all over the United States and Canada.

"You know exactly who he is. I want him and $500,000 in cash. I will call back in an hour to check on your progress. If I am not satisfied, poor Spike will pay the price." Theo laughed before snapping the phone shut. He smirked at Spike, who suppressed a fearful shudder.

"We can't just hand over a dangerous drug lord!" Ed slammed his fist down on the table. "I want Spike back more than anything, but you can't even think about releasing him!" They were twenty minutes in the given hour and they had accomplished nothing. There was no way that the court would ever release Sean Kennan. They had fought for years to get him behind bars. As for the money, that would take days for the city to get together that amount of money.

"Eddie, I know, I know buddy." Greg pressed his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose. This whole thing was a bigger mess than Greg could have ever imagined. Theodore hadn't made demands that the SRU could comply with on a whim. One was going to take an inordinate amount of time and the other was practically impossible.

"What's our game plan?" Sam was leaned forward in his chair, his head resting on his clasped hands. He wondered if anyone could see that he was clutching his hands together so tightly, his knuckles were a bleached white. He wanted to punch someone. Whoever had taken Spike was going to pay. Sam was going to rip the head off of Theodore Acker when they found him.

"I'm not sure. The bank is getting started on the money, but it could be forty-eight hours." Greg watched the remaining members of team one's faces fall. He hated that they didn't have any leads. He hated knowing that Spike was out there somewhere.

* * *

><p>"You're about to find out just how much you mean to your team." Broad smirked as he looked at Spike, who was now huddled in the corner. Spike raised his eyes to look at Broad. Spike wondered what the team was doing with the demands. He knew they would never hand over a dangerous criminal and the amount of money that Broad had demanded would take a lot longer than an hour.<p>

"Theo, can, can I leave?" Brown was starting to twitch as the hour slowly ticked by. Spike clicked that away in his brain, now he had a name for the person who was holding him here. Brown was getting more antsy with each passing second. He just wanted to get the hell out of town. He might even start going to those meetings that helped people like him get straight. He had never truly wanted to leave this life until this moment.

"I'll tell you when the fuck you can leave. Now sit the fuck down and shut up!" Theo was regretting having Brown help him out. The man was a whiny bitch. Brown tucked his head and walked over towards the doorway. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag from it.

"Sorry." He mumbled under his breath as he pulled the collar of his shirt up higher. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to make himself invisible. He didn't want to get on Theo's bad side.

* * *

><p>"We're running out of time!" Jules was looking at the countdown clock they had pulled up on the computer screen. They had been trying to effectively manage their time, but it seemed like time had just slipped through their hands like they were trying to hold soup. Theodore was supposed to call back in less than five minutes. The money was slowly coming together, but it was just pocket change compared to what Theodore wanted. They had made no progress on how to handle their situation with Sean Kennan.<p>

"What are you going to tell him?" Wordy asked. He was standing next to Jules, a comforting arm slung around her.

"That his demands are going to take more time, but we're making progress." Greg shrugged his shoulder. "We are, at least on the money." Greg sighed. He felt like he had aged more in the last hour than he had during every harrowing moment during his career as an officer of the law. Everyone jumped as the shrill ringing of Greg's phone broke through the momentarily silence.

"How is everything coming along?" Theo greeted in way of greeting. He still had the same nonchalant tone. It was like he was taking a stroll in the park, not holding the life of a constable in his hands.

"We're making progress Mr. Acker, but it's going to take time." Greg shut his eyes. He was fearful of the response that Theodore was going to have. They didn't know how volatile the man was. They hadn't been able to find anyone who knew him. This man had covered his tracks extremely thoroughly.

"I have some incentive for you. Another package should be arriving momentarily." Theo checked his watch. He had sent someone to take the package to a certain delivery man. If that delivery man wanted his new baby girl to stay in one piece, he would deliver the package, and use the fake name and number given and get out of there.

"A package for um Greg Parker?" The gum chewing delivery man looked incredibly nervous and averted his eyes when Kira looked at him.

"What's your name?" Sam approached the man, causing him to jump. "Take it easy." Sam held his hands up, forcing them to unravel from the fist they had been. He knew that letting loose on this guy might prevent them

"Damien. I'm Damien." The man remembered his lines. He just wanted to get into his truck, finish his deliveries and go home. He couldn't wait to cuddle his baby girl and never let her out of his sight again. He wondered if a day would ever come that he didn't regret the drugs he had been addicted to back in the day. He had owed a lot of money to the drug lords and now he was making up for those mistakes. They used him as their messenger and had messed with his packages more times than he could count.

"Damien, who gave you this package?" Greg didn't want to beat around the bush. It was obvious from the sweat pouring down Damien's back that he knew more than he was letting on. Damien swallowed hard before replying.

"I was stopped on the street. A man told me to get this package to the um, SRU immediately. Someone's life depended on my reliability." Damien recited almost word for word the little paper he had been given. He had thrown the sheet away after reading the lines out loud a few times. He wouldn't risk going against Theo. He had too much pull on the street.

"Can you describe this man?" The person who had dropped off the package had also said to give a description that was completely opposite of him. The person who had given him the package could have passed for a teenager.

"He was, uh, about four inches taller than me. He had bleached blond hair and um, he was on the pudgy side." Damien shut his eyes, trying to imagine the man the exact opposite that he really was.

"Thank you. Would you mind hanging around for a little bit longer?" Greg wanted to start chasing down this lead, but he wasn't sure that Damien wasn't holding something back. The man still hadn't made eye contact and was shifting anxiously from foot to foot.

"Umm, sure. I gotta call my boss though." Damien rocked back onto his heels. He really just wanted to run away, but he didn't want the SRU on his tail. He knew that it was wrong to let that other man suffer, but his family came first. He knew what the drug lords were capable of, and it was way worse than what the cops can do.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! ..More to come soon! Feel free to point out mistakes as you see them, but in the form of constructive criticism please.


	4. Bring Me Home

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everybody! I hope this chapter is okay! I also thank everyone for the alerts/favorites! I didn't realize a month had gone by since I updated this! Sorry, I don't know where the time goes! (if you see a few more grammar/spelling errors than usual, I just put on fake nails to stop myself from biting so I'm still adjusting to them! sorry about that.)...and the formatting is a little funny because fanfiction is hating me tonight

* * *

><p>Andorian Ice Princess-AIP: ME, KILL SPIKE? OMG! Epp no! I think it's going to be two more chapters…one more chapter of torture… for you guys! Thanks for your review :) (as always)<p>

Ziggy488: Thanks! I appreciate your review! I hope you like this next chapter

LaneIA: Keep reading ;) Thanks for your review! I was hoping the delivery guy didn't seem cliché.

AuntMingy: Thanks I am glad you are enjoying it! I always get nervous when I update something.

rgs38: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you took the time to review! I'm hoping this chapter is gonna like you want!

* * *

><p>"Oh my God!" Jules didn't know if she could breathe. Spike's face was bruised, torn open. The expression in his eyes tore at everyone's heart. Spike looked terrified. He had a strip of duct tape over his mouth and his hands and feet were bound. The pictures were close up, not giving them any clues to where Spike might be. It just let them see the terror and fear in his face. It let them know that he was scared and that scared them. There was no note included, but the team knew that time was running out.<p>

"He is _so_ dead." Sam cracked his knuckles as he stormed from the room. He had to let off some of this rage he felt. A few minutes later, the sounds of the punching bag being hit filtered back to them. Ed slipped out of the room to calm their newest member down. It was never easy when a team member's life was on the edge, but they needed all of their heads on board to save Spike.

* * *

><p>"You better hope your friends hurry up." Theo was getting antsier by the moment, his nonchalant tone of voice gone. Sean had been locked up for way too long and Theo felt lost without him. Sean was his big brother, technically his half-brother, but he had been the father figure in Theo's life and made him who he was. Sean had shaped him into the fierce man he was and was the only person who actually cared about him. Theo owed it to him to get him out of the hellhole known as jail.<p>

"I-I'm sure they're scrambling right now." Brown spoke up from his spot near the door. He hoped the SRU was hurrying. Theo was terrifying when he got this way. He had been brought up in the street life and he had no fear. He wouldn't even blink before shooting someone in the face for simply looking at him the wrong way. Theo hadn't gotten to be a powerful drug lord by being nice and forgiving. "They're not gonna risk crossing you T-Theo."

"Shut up." Theo screamed at Brown, storming closer to him, hands held out threateningly. "Just get out of here! If I hear you breathed a word about this, you're a dead man." Brown didn't wait to be told twice, he slipped through the door and then he was gone. "You." He turned to Spike, whose eyes got bigger in fear. All Spike was thinking about right now was his team coming for him and taking him home. He would take the coldness between him and his father over this any day. He wanted to get out of here. Theo got closer to him, grabbing the bomb tech and pulling him to his feet, yanking him close to his face. "Your team is trying to pull some shit on me, but it's not going to work. They don't know what I have planned for you." Spike shuddered, knowing his time was limited.

* * *

><p>"Then you people better get on it!" Greg screamed into the phone. He had lost his cool the second the saw the photos of Spike that Theodore had sent them. Spike was like a son to him and seeing the pictures made him physically ill. He had to resist the urge to throw up and had tried hard to keep his composure. He turned, trying to remember that the delivery man wasn't the person who had taken Spike. "Is there <em>anything<em> else that you remember?"

"Look, I, I gotta come clean." Damien was sweating so hard, Ed was wondering if he should put the man in the shower. It was obvious that he was about to finally come clean with the group. "I, I, I wasn't, I haven't been very honest." He wouldn't look up from the floor.

"What do you mean?" Sam grabbed the man and slammed him into the wall. His teeth were gritted in anger. None of the men in the room moved to stop Sam.

"I, I, he was, I didn't mean to, I love my family, I love my daughter." He stuttered, fear creeping into his eyes. He knew he had done wrong and he might have just cost someone their lives. "He, I just, I couldn't let her get hurt." He knew his decision had been stupid. He would have been better off to just come clean from the start.

"Tell us what the hell you know!" Sam screamed, his face only inches from the other man's. Every second that this man stumbled around the whole truth was a second they weren't saving Spike. It was a second that Spike might be suffering, might be being tortured, or worse.

"He's, I, I know who he is." Damien started to cry, weeping like a little boy. Sam pressed him harder against the wall.

"Talk, now." Sam growled. He had no patience with this man. This man deserved no mercy. He deserved to be thrown in a concrete pit to never see the rays of the sun again. He might have cost them Spike.

"I he, my family!" The man shut his eyes, fully expecting to be hit by Sam. "I, I used, he was my drug dealer! The person who delivered the package to me is a errand boy for him. I swear, I'm clean now." His voice had risen in pitch. Sam was wondering if he should step back because the man looked ready to wet himself.

"You're going to lead us to him. Now." Sam's voice came out in a deadly cold whisper.

* * *

><p>"Greetings SRU." Theo's voice rang out over the speaker phone. The team was drawing up a game plan, getting ready to leave headquarters. Damien had spilled everything he knew about the drug lord, including the locations that he frequented. The police were taking several of the locations and the SRU had chosen to take the two locations that Spike was most likely to be at.<p>

"Theo!" Greg tried to keep his voice upbeat. This would help reassure Theo that positive things were happening on their end and hopefully put him at ease. An agitated subject would cause more tension and make the situation that much worse.

"How is the release of Sean coming along?" Theo had Spike pressed up against the wall. He was trying to maintain his cool, but he knew that the longer that this took, the greater the chances of it not going well.

"We're making progress." Greg said, trying not to let Theo know that the police weren't budging, and Greg wasn't about to let a convicted felon out to roam the streets.

"You said that the last fucking time!" Theo screamed in the phone, squeezing the phone tighter in his grasp. He resisted the urge to throw it against the wall. "Do you need more motivation?" He had always had trouble controlling his anger and people had learned to let him get his way.

"No, we got your pictures. We want Spike back safe." Greg shut his eyes. He could see the list of tactics he used at almost every hostage situation before him, but the stakes were higher than ever. He took a deep breath before continuing, personalize the victim, maybe make the subject think twice before harming the hostage. "His mom wants to eat dinner with him tonight. She loves and misses her son."

"Well, if you keep fucking around, then you aren't ever going to see him take another breath again!" Theo let Spike fall on the floor, viciously kicking him in the chest. He hoped that the people on the other end could hear the muffled yelp from Spike. He kicked Spike again, relishing in the crack of the rib he heard.

"There's no need to hurt him!" Greg felt his heart drop, the nausea rising when he heard the crack. Jules broke into tears, turning to Wordy for comfort. Wordy wrapped his arms around her and tried to hold his own tears back. Sam wanted to smash this guy into a thousand pieces. He deserved to have every bone in his body broken a hundred times over.

"Well, if you get on my demands, then no, there won't be!" Theo kicked again, this time catching Spike in the face again. Spike barely heard the crack that resonated from his jaw through his skull, making him see white before he passed out.

* * *

><p>AN: Who is slightly evil… THEO!


	5. Rescue

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my friend Andorian Ice Princess-AIP. She's been so supportive and helpful in the last few months! I don't know what I would do without you! : ) ((You guys should check out her fanfiction if you haven't already, it's amazing stuff!)) Also, Happy Holidays!

A/N 2: This chapter is not quite as long as I wanted, but I re-wrote it after a few days de-stressing! I thought killing Spike might lead to me being killed by certain people!

* * *

><p>Theo looked down in satisfaction at the crumpled man before him. Sean was the one who had taught him how to get pleasure out of the pain that he caused others. They had taken Sean, the most precious thing to him, so he had taken Spike, the most precious asset to their team. The waiting game was really starting to get to him and he wasn't sure exactly what to do right now. If Sean was here, he would have told him exactly what to do. Sean always knew what to do. Sean was the best. Sean wouldn't have lost his cool, but Theo just couldn't stop himself sometimes. He let out a frustrated shout before he lashed out, punching the unconscious Spike over and over. He finally spun away. If he killed Spike now, he would never get Sean, but he was getting really impatient. If Sean wasn't a free man within the next few hours, Theo would be forced to take more drastic measures. Looking at the bloodied and broken man before him, all he could think was, the SRU was running out of time.<p>

* * *

><p>Ed couldn't get the sound of the cracking sound that Spike's bones had made out of his head. It resounded through his head like a sick chorus to a song. He kept imagining that it was Spike's skull and his brain was bleeding, a rib that had punctured his lung and caused internal bleeding, or he had broken one of his legs and it had nicked the artery and he was bleeding to death. All he knew was that they needed to get Spike medical attention. What if Spike was bleeding out right now? Ed couldn't get the feelings of failure out of his head. He was supposed to be the team leader and Spike had been taken right under their noses. He knew he would never forgive himself if Spike didn't make it back in one piece.<p>

"We're gonna get him back." Greg said quietly, breaking into Ed's thoughts. Ed was staring intently out the windshield as they sped towards their destination. They were hoping that Spike was only a few more minutes away from being back with them. Greg knew his team was trained to deal with some of the most dangerous situations the country saw, but it never got easier when it was someone on his team that needed rescuing. All the training in the world didn't make it any easier when it was their brother and friend needing help.

"But how much damage has been done." Ed's voice could barely be heard above the sound of the car engine. They all knew the emotional toll being kidnapped took on the mind and body. Spike was going to need all their love and support to get through this. The rest of the team listening in silence only could think about how they needed to get Spike back.

"Spike is strong. He'll get through this. We'll get him through this." Greg lapsed into silence as he stared intently at the road in front of them. If only time travel had been created.

"Whatever we do, we do not kill Theo. I want him to suffer for this. He does not get the easy way out." Ed added, his voice cold as ice. He was not about to let this son of a bitch die easily. What Theo had done to Spike deserved punishment. Ed wanted him to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

His hands tightened around the steering wheel as he thought about how much he wanted to hurt Theo. Spike was like a son to him and an important asset to the team. He had seen Spike come so far and he was not going to watch Spike die.

* * *

><p>Theo was pacing back and forth. He was really worried now. If everything didn't work out, he might not get Sean back. That wasn't even a possibility. He had to get Sean back. It was so hard to be here without Sean. Sean was like the ultimate how-to guide on how to live life. Sean guided him through everything and he just, he kept getting more and more lost. He was slowly becoming more and more desperate. He was starting to realize that he didn't know how to do anything without Sean. A small movement caught the corner of his eyes and he grinned evilly, his captive was waking up.<p>

* * *

><p>"Team Three is in position." Troy's voice came in through everyone's headsets. They were all anxious to be breaking the doors in. Team One was getting in position outside of the door to the warehouse. Sam had taken a position up on the roof and the rest of the team was preparing to storm the door. They were trying not to get their hopes up too high that Spike was waiting on the other side of the door for them.<p>

"Entry in 3, 2, 1!" Ed yelled, his cue going for all of the cops and SRU teams that were storming buildings across the town. It turned into as controlled chaos as flashbangs were thrown in the broken windows and doors were smashed. The yells of men telling their locations and the sounds of running footsteps came through the headsets as the warehouses and buildings were cleared and checked for the missing SRU team member.

"Three men in custody!" Troy announced several long minutes later. "Spike is not here." He was extremely disappointed. He had hoped that they would find Spike, but he was keeping his fingers crossed that one of the other locations would have Spike. His heart sank a little more every time a cop announced that the location was clear until only Team One had yet to check in. Spike was just one of those guys who was always friendly and never had a rude word to say. He seemed to always be smiling and joking around, which was a welcome relief from the horrors that the SRU had to face. To be honest, Theo was a little envious that Spike could see the stuff that he saw and still manage to seem happy

"We have a problem." Ed managed whispered in shock. Team One had frozen into place as they took in the horrific scene before him. Theo had backed himself up against the far wall and had a gun pressed to a half-conscious Spike's head. Theo had his arm wrapped around Spike's chest and was practically holding him up. Spike looked just as bad as Ed had imagined. His jaw was a nasty purplish color and had swollen to double its size. Ed knew that was the source of the crack they had heard. Blood was dripping from several cuts on his forehead and both of his eyes were blackened. Ed wasn't sure there was anywhere he could see on Spike's body that wasn't black or blue. There were no words that expressed Team One's feelings.

"Son, put the gun down." Greg said as he leveled his weapon with Theo's head. He knew his job was to negotiate and keep the situation from going lethal is possible, but he wasn't sure he could while Spike looked like this. This was someone he considered to be like a son to him. They didn't have the time to wait for Theo to make demands and extend this out for as long as it would go. Theo was becoming like any other case they had taken care of. The SRU handled cases with mostly very desperate, out-of-control people who didn't have their heads on straight enough to think a plan through.

"Give me Sean or I'll fucking blow his brains out!" Theo's voice was frantic. He had lost his cool completely. He was not the same man that Greg had been talking to just an hour ago. Sean must be incredibly important to him. Kira had been looking through files trying to find anything about Theo and Sean's relationship, but she hadn't found anything. Theo looked wildly at the gathered SRU members and police.

"Theo? It's Greg. We've talked on the phone." Greg kept his voice calm and even as he ignored Theo's previous statement. "We are still working with the prison. They aren't moving very fast." Greg didn't add that they weren't moving at all. The prison wasn't about to let Sean Keenan go. Greg had a feeling that Theo was starting to figure this out.

"Well tell them to get the fuck on it!" Theo's voice had a crazed edge to it. He pressed the gun into the side of Spike's head. Spike winced and shifted, but there was no escape from the pain. The cold metal of the gun hurt his head. Spike wasn't sure what hurt the most at this moment. It seemed like all the parts of his body were in a competition to see who could hurt the worst. He had never wanted to be able to lay down and go to sleep this much in his life. Spike felt his legs giving out underneath him, but Theo's arm held him up and prevented him from escaping form the pain.

"I have told them that you were serious." Greg knew that making false promises would only decrease the trust between them. If he could just get Theo to point the gun somewhere else, they could get Spike out safely. Spike was priority at this point and if it came down to it, Greg knew this might end in a fatality. "Why is he so important to you?"

"It doesn't matter! Why does it matter? I just want him!" Theo wasn't in control anymore. He knew this was a losing battle. "Put your guns down or I'll shoot him!" Theo screamed. Maybe if the police put their weapons down, he would be able to clear his head and think. The pressure that came with about a dozen guns pointing at you wasn't helping his decision making. Theo was starting to get extremely scared that this was going down the path where the police shot him.

"How about we do it at the same time?" Greg had heard this line more than he could count. This was just an attempt to get more control. It was also a sign of desperation

"No, no, no. Then there is nothing stopping you from coming over here!" Theo rolled his eyes as he squeezed Spike closer to him. If they shot him now, they would be taking a huge risk that they might hit their precious team member. Sean had told him how the SRU worked. They were a little more fucked up than most units. They actually tried to keep the criminals alive and take them to jail, instead of just killing them first. "You have one last hour. Sean will be standing here." Theo growled, trying to sound serious. He wished he sounded less whiny right now.

"We might not make that deadline. It's not a close drive." Greg knew an hour wouldn't be enough. Ed closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Ed already knew that this was not going to end well. Theo had taken a jump off the diving board into the deep end. Theo had quickly deteriorated when his demands had gone unanswered. "Why is Sean so important to you?"

"Sean is the only family I know. He's the reason I turned out the way I did." Theo was eager to talk about Sean. Maybe if they knew how important Sean was to him, they would get on Sean's release quicker. Ed couldn't tear his eyes off of Spike. Spike was swaying back and forth and it seemed without Theo's arm around him, he would have collapsed a long time ago.

"He sounds important to you." Greg tried not to let the disgust that he felt creep into his voice. He was supposed to be a top negotiator, but right now, he just wanted to snap Theo's head off and get Spike to the hospital. "What would he think of what you are doing right now?" He knew that Sean would probably be getting some sick pleasure from this, but maybe Theo just needed some sick wake-up call. Spike's eyes kept rolling back and Greg was getting more and more worried by the second.

"He would be proud." Theo answered without any hesitation. Wordy felt the bile rise in his throat as he thought about the mess that Sean had left in his wake. Wordy remembered the scene that was incredibly eerily similar to this one, an injured cop being held hostage by a drug lord. Jules shuddered as she remembered the blood that had surrounded the cop that Sean had shot and been willing to let die. She didn't know what she would do if Spike died. He was right in front of them and they couldn't help him. Lou felt like he had let his best friend down. They were supposed to be there for each other and Lou hadn't held up that end of the deal. "He is proud of me." He added after a second.

"Theo, what do you know about Sean?" Greg prodded. If he could put the doubt in Theo's head that Sean wasn't the person he pretended to be, then he would put the gun down. Greg did not want to shoot anyone, but sometimes his job didn't end happily. Sam knew he might be needed for a lethal shot and backed up carefully, trying to get the perfect shot lined up. It only took a second hesitation for everything to go terribly wrong if Sam wasn't ready.

"He's a good guy." Theo knew that Sean made his living just like he did, selling drugs, so Theo couldn't just him for that. Theo knew that not everyone made their living being a doctor or a lawyer, and had to resort to means that some looked down on. "He does what he has to."

"Has he told you about all the lives he has taken? The terrible things that he's done?" Greg had his fingers crossed that Theo would start getting confused and wanted to just give up. Theo was just a kid and maybe Greg could persuade him. Greg knew deep in his heart that Theo wasn't someone who could be saved, but Greg had to give it a chance. Greg could see out of the corner of his eyes that Sam was prepared to take the shot.

"We all do things that we regret." Theo kept his chin high. No one was perfect. Theo let out a small shout as Spike fell forward, completely limp. He lost his grip and let Spike flop to the floor, a pitiful scream of pain ripping from Spike, even in his unconsciousness. "God damn it!" Theo pointed the gun at Greg's head. "Fuck this!" He started to tighten his finger on the trigger.

"Take the shot." Greg whispered. Sam didn't hesitate as he took the shot. Theo collapsed before he was able to finish pulling the trigger. Greg rushed forward with the rest of the team towards where Spike was in a crumpled heap.

"Spike, wake up! We got you. It's going to be okay." Jules cupped Spike's head carefully, trying not to move him. Spike didn't move. The paramedics were waved in and they quickly strapped Spike onto a spine board, put a c-collar on him, and started hooking him up to more machines than they could count. Wordy ran to Theo, kicking his weapon away as the man rolled on the ground in pain. Wordy resisted slamming the man's face into the ground as he grabbed Theo's hands and jerked them behind his back. Sam had shot him in the shoulder. Sam let his weapon drop before rushing forward to Spike as well. Up close, Spike looked even worse than Sam had seen from a distance. Sam felt as though his heart had just dropped out of his body and shattered into a million pieces.

"We're going to transport him now." The paramedic said as she placed the oxygen mask on Spike's face. Lou looked at the rest of the team with pleading eyes. He didn't want to be separated from his best friend for another second. Spike had never looked so vulnerable in his life. Lou just wanted for his best friend to sit up and let them know that it was going to be okay.

"Go." Greg nodded his consent to Lou. Lou gave him a grateful look before helping the paramedics push the gurney out of the warehouse. The team started to look around the warehouse, grimacing as they took in the blood splattered throughout the room. It looked a little like a sick and twisted war zone. The team rushed to finish what jobs they had to do so they could get to the hospital. It only took SIU a few minutes for Sam to be cleared. Wordy had handed off Theo to be taken to jail. Their thoughts were on Spike and they just wanted to go to the hospital and see Spike.

* * *

><p>AN: It's a little bit of an abrupt end, but I didn't want this chapter to drag on forever! But, at least Spike is going to be on the mend now!


	6. The Road to Recovery

A/N: I am not quite sure where Spike's father falls ill, but I have inserted that as part of the storyline. Not a major part, but this keeps the story focused more on the team. Yes, this is a short filler chapter!

* * *

><p>"Spike, open your eyes!" Lou's voice was full of panic as Spike's eyes started fluttering shut. Spike forced his eyes open again. He was just so exhausted and his body hurt so badly. Maybe if he just shut his eyes for a few minutes, he would feel a little better.<p>

"Just keep his eyes open." The paramedic said as he gave Spike some morphine through the IV he had started. "We'll be at hospital soon." He couldn't stop a wince as he glanced over the injuries that covered Spike's chest. He had cut the constable's shirt open and bruises covered every inch of the exposed skin. He looked like he had been through a war.

"Damn, you know how to get yourself into a mess don't you?" Lou managed a small wry grin at that. "You're gonna be just fine." He tried not to let Spike see just how worried he was. Spike's face and chest was a mess. His jaw was swollen and had turned a nasty shade that was a mix of black and blue. Spike tried to mouth something, but he couldn't get the words to form. "Don't talk, just stay with me."

"Let's get him out!" The paramedic flung the doors as the squealed into the emergency room ambulance entrance. "You'll need to stay in the waiting area." The paramedic informed him as Lou ran alongside the gurney, not letting Spike's hand go. He gave it a squeeze before he let it fall back against the gurney. Spike's eyes widened in fear as he realized that Lou wasn't going with him. All Lou wanted to do was to stay by Spike's side and make sure that he was okay. He was left in the hallway alone, watching his best friend be whisked away behind the doors.

* * *

><p>"Any news?" Wordy was the first to speak up as the entire team came storming through the doors and rushed to where Lou was pacing back and forth. The SIU had barely even asked one question before clearing them for their lethal action they had taken and they had ran for the SUVs and driven as fast as possible towards the hospital.<p>

"Not yet." Lou couldn't get how scared Spike looked as he was wheeled away out of his head. He wished he could have gone with them and stayed with him through this. He couldn't imagine how terrified Spike was and he was surrounded by strangers.

"Spike's a fighter. He's going to be okay." Sarge said as he put a reassuring hand on Lou's shoulder, stopping his pacing. "I'm sure the doctor will come out soon." The team settled themselves in the corner, hoping news would come soon.

* * *

><p>"Constable Scarlatti?" The doctor looked at the name on the chart as she emerged from behind the doors. The entire team leapt to their feet. They were eager to know how Spike was.<p>

"We're his team." Sarge spoke up as the doctor looked a little shocked. "His family has been informed." Mrs. Scarlatti had demanded to be kept up-to-date, but she had been forced to stay home with Spike's father, who was too sick to leave his bed. She had demanded several times that she be updated the second that they knew anything.

"I'm Doctor Link. Constable Scarlatti is in surgery at the moment to wire his jaw into place. He also required ninety stitches to close the various cuts across his face and chest. He also has five broken ribs and a broken right clavicle. We also took a CT of his head and found three separate skull fractures. He's going to be in the hospital for about a week for observation and will need to rest for at least a month and a half before going back on light duty." The team was shocked. They were used to the smiling Spike who rebounded from everything, not one who would be out of commission for so long.

"What, what about the um, emotional toll?" Sarge hated to ask, but the worst aspect of this whole ordeal could be the residual emotional damage that would exist even after the physical wounds healed.

"I am not a psychiatrist, so I can't tell you for sure, but it's going to be a long road until he's recovered." Dr. Link couldn't imagine what the young man had gone through. He had had extensive injuries. It never ceased to shock him the horrific things that human beings could do to other people. "He's going to need all the support he can get."

"We'll get him through it." Sam was the first to speak up. The team got through their toughest days together and kept each other from falling. They would get Spike through this. Spike had always been ready to listen and give a hug when needed. Now it was their turn.

"How long until we can see him?" Jules spoke up, blinking away the tears that she wouldn't allow to fall until she was alone. Wordy gave her a gentle squeeze as he wrapped an arm around her. He could tell from the slight quiver in her voice that she was close to losing it.

"I will have a nurse come and tell you the second that Constable Scarlatti has been moved out of Recovery." The doctor could tell how close the police officers before him were. Their body posture and the bags underneath their eyes showed that they had not slept in a good while and he guessed they wouldn't until the constable was out of the woods.

"Thanks." Greg nodded his thanks as the team all settled back into their chairs. He pulled out his phone and quickly gave Mrs. Scarlatti the little bit of information that they had been given. He thought grimly to himself as he half fell back into the hard chair, it was time to begin the waiting game.

* * *

><p>"Constable Scarlatti?" The team all converged on the nurse as she entered the waiting area.<p>

"We're his team." Greg was eager for news. He really wanted to see Spike and know that he was okay.

"He's doing well. He's been moved to a private room on the fourth floor. I can take you there now if you would like!" The nurse said with a smile on her face. The team felt some of the tension that was caked up in their system start to melt, but it would not all go away until they saw Spike with their own eyes.

"Yes!" Lou had a hard time not screaming the word in the woman's face. He wanted to see his best friend, his brother. She nodded and beckoned them to follow her. They wanted to push her faster and sprint to the room, but they knew they had to control their emotions for a few minutes more.

"Here we are!" The nurse said after an excruciatingly long elevator ride. It felt like the elevator had some type of personal vendetta against them. She pointed to the room on the right and swung the door open for them. She scurried off to find the doctor to update them.

"Thank you." The team mumbled as they all walked through the door and were taken aback by Spike's appearance. His whole face was puffed up almost beyond recognition. They could see metal rods emerging from the sides of his face. Tubes and wires were attached everywhere. His chest was exposed and was completely wrapped up. His right arm was in an immobilizer sling. He looked like he had been thrown into a wood shredder, but he was alive. While an oxygen mask was resting on his face, the rise and fall of his chest was not from a tube that was shoved down his throat. The team felt more of their worries sliding away.

"I'm Doctor Hemingway. I was Constable Scarlatti's surgeon." A knock on the door caused everyone's heads to turn. They were grateful for the updates.

"What can you tell us?" Greg felt like he had been unconsciously nominated the team's spoke person. They really hadn't talked during the wait. Everyone was lost in their thoughts and the fear that they could lose a team member. It was one of the biggest fears that they all held in their minds every time they went out on a call, but not one they normally had to worry about when they weren't on duty.

"I'll give you a rundown of what you see. The skull fractures will heal on their own, but the wires on his head are to monitor the pressure in his brain. The fracture in his jaw was very severe and we have inserted several rods to re-align the jaw. His ribs have been taped and he should stay as still as possible for the next few weeks. The IVs are providing morphine and nourishment, since he will not be able to eat for a month, possibly longer. All things considered, he has been extremely lucky." The doctor looked over the man before her. He looked like he had been to hell and back, but he had made it back.

"When will he regain consciousness?" Jules had moved to Spike's bedside and was carefully holding his hand, avoiding the wires and tubes.

"He should wake up when the anesthesia wears off. That will most likely be within the next hour or so." The surgeon looked more grave, "Be prepared, he will be disoriented. You will need to keep him still." The team got ready for another long wait, their eyes not wavering from Spike as they waited for him to wake up.

* * *

><p>AN: Yea, that's not my best ending, but I wanted to get something small up. Suggestions on how to open the next chapter?


	7. Safe

A/N: I know I keep falling off the face of the planet, but here's another chapter! Sorry for the extended time between reviews! (Fanfiction was being weird and not letting me see my reviews so I decided to just go ahead and put it up instead of waiting.)

* * *

><p>Someone was holding him down. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't run. He couldn't move. Something or someone was holding him down, not letting him move. He tried to claw at the thing on top of him, but he couldn't make his hands move. His legs wouldn't kick and the more he tried to struggle, the tighter the hold became. More things were holding him down. All he wanted to do was get away from all of this. The pain was excruciating. It was beyond anything that he had ever felt. It was like someone had released ground glass into his blood stream and it was coursing through his veins.<p>

"Spike, please calm down. Buddy, please calm down. You are safe. We got you, you are safe." Spike felt his heart leap. That was a voice that he knew. That was a voice he knew meant safety. Those were the voices that kept him sane on his worst days and were there for him whenever he needed him. Could it be that the team rescuing him hadn't just been a hopeful mirage intended to rip his heart into smaller pieces? Could it be true that he was really somewhere safe?

"We're all here. You're safe. You're safe." Spike almost burst into tears of joy when he recognized the second voice instantly. If Wordy and Lou were here, then it must be true. He opened his eyes. The entire team was surrounding the bed, crowding in towards him. Their faces expressed worry and concern for their fallen team member. Spike felt a surge of relief and safety run through his body. He knew he was safe.

"Where am I?" Spike winced at how much pain was in his jaw. It was like a bolt of lightning struck his face every time he talked. He was fairly positive that he remembered hearing his jaw crack. "Where is Theo? What happened?" He looked around the room. He was still a little disoriented and wasn't quite sure where he was.

"The hospital." Jules had tears in her eyes. "We were so worried." She had both of her hands wrapped around his. "We were just so worried." She shook her head as her voice broke and Greg wrapped his arm around her. They had come so close to losing him. They had all been so worried that Spike wasn't going to be okay.

"What, what happened?" Everything about how he ended up in the hospital was a blank. All he knew was his body was on fire. He wasn't sure what hurt the most, but he secretly hoped the doctor would came in soon and he could ask for some pain relief. He hoped no one would think he was weak. His body had had enough of this pain and he wanted at least some of it to go away.

"We found you. The delivery man's conscious um, got the best of him." Sam answered. He looked a little sheepish and Spike made a mental note to ask Jules later what had happened. He figured that Sam had lost his temper, but Spike just hoped it wasn't anything that was going to end in suspension.

"Theo is never going to hurt you again." Ed's voice went so deep, it was almost a growl. Ed could taste the hatred and spite he had for Theo as he spit out every word. Spike was glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of Ed's anger. Ed wasn't a violent man by nature, but he was very protective. Spike knew that if Theo was left alone with Ed in the near future, Theo wouldn't walk away from it.

"He's going to jail for the rest of his life. His apartment had enough drugs in it to convict him even without what he did to you." Wordy said, his voice ringing with pleasure at the thought of Theo spending the rest of his life behind bars. At least Spike wouldn't have to worry about Theo coming back for him.

"I was worried I wasn't ever going to see you again." Spike dropped his eyes. He had never felt so helpless in his life as he did when Theo had him tied up. The fear and hopelessness had been completely overwhelming. He had felt like he could reach out and touch death.

"We never stopped looking. Stop talking though buddy, you have wires running through your jaw." Greg didn't want to voice the concern they all had, that they were all concerned they would never see him again. They needed to direct the focus onto prosecuting Theo and getting Spike nursed back to full health.

Spike gave a nod as he looked up into his boss's eyes and tried to convey just how thankful he was. Words would never be enough to express just how grateful he was for the fact that he hadn't died alone in that warehouse with Theo. He had been so sure that the last thing he would ever see was Theo's sneering face as Theo beat him to death. He finally felt like he fully understood why some of the people they had had to talk down from ledges or stop from going on shooting sprees were driven to the point they were. He understood the pain that they had felt from being hurt by someone who chose to hurt them and being kidnapped. But most of all, he had never felt so grateful for being alive.

* * *

><p>"Constable Scarlatti, the wires will remain in your jaw for the next four to five weeks. This is a list of foods you should make sure you are including in your diet and a list of shakes that are easy to make." The doctor handed him a thick pamphlet. "I have given you the rest of the information that you will need for the next few weeks. I will see you for a follow-up appointment in two weeks." The doctor gave Spike a huge smile. He was happy to see his patient leaving. He had come a huge way from being barely alive when he had come into the hospital. Spike was still bandaged and casted, but the bruises were fading slowly and even with the wires in his jaw, he was still smiling.<p>

"Thank you doctor. We can't thank you enough." Greg shook the doctor's hand vigorously as Lou started pushing the wheelchair down the hallway. The entire team walked behind Spike, glad that they were leaving this place. They all hoped to never return.

A/N: I know this chapter sums up a lot and is short, but there is one more chapter, which will expand on some things. Request what you would like to see if you want.


	8. Healing

A/N: No excuses for the time between chapters, just hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I am dedicating this chapter to my new brothers. The feelings I put into this chapter are real.

* * *

><p>AbsentTone: hey like i say, late is better than never! thank you so much for reading and reviewing! i hope that you enjoy the final chapter.<p>

slippedhalo76: late is better than never (i never show up on time for a party ;) )! i appreciate the review! i really don't mean to leave you guys for such long periods of time, but i am maxed out in class load at college and i just have to keep up with my homework first! thank you so much for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

rg38: thanks for the review! i hope that i included a few things that you seemed to want included! i already had some of them in the plan, but thanks for the feedback. i greatly appreciate all of your reviews! i am so sorry to leave you hanging! thanks again for the review!

Angelinsydney: spike did have a sexy nurse! her fanfic name happened to be samspadefitzgerald! anyway, thanks for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter too!

jkolol: thanks for the review! hope you enjoy the ending!

Andorian Ice Princess – AIP: hope this is the ending you would have liked! and i know, it is sad to know that spike can't talk for that long… although getting a kiss doesn't involve an open mouth! hope you like this and you should know by now, i appreciate all the reviews you send to me!

* * *

><p><em>Spike was running. His hands still tied tightly behind his back. Blood ran down his fingers from his chaffed wrists. The chilly night air seared like fire through his lungs as he sprinted. He could hear the footsteps behind him, but every time he dared to look behind him, all he could see was the black outline of the person who was chasing him. He couldn't escape. He couldn't get away. <em>

Greg felt his heart breaking as he saw the tears rolling down Spike's face as he flailed in his bed. He couldn't open his mouth wide enough to scream because of the wiring in his jaw but the grunting sound of pure terror that escaped sent pangs of pain running through Greg's heart. Spike had been staying with him over the last week since he had been released from the hospital. It had been the same story every night, Greg would get about an hour of sleep before going to check on Spike and then the rest of the night he spent comforting the young SRU officer.

"Spike. Hey, Spike buddy." Greg kept his voice calm, trying to sooth Spike as he put his hand on his shoulder. Spike was covered in a thin sheet of sweat. "You are safe. You're okay." Greg put another hand on Spike's head, gently trying to pull him the invisible terror Spike was caught in. Spike jerked frantically, struggling to sit straight up his eyes shot wide open. "Hey, you're okay." Greg helped Spike sit up, careful not to hurt Spike's healing ribs. Spike let his head fall against Greg's chest, relishing in the comfort it brought. He could hear the heartbeat of the man who he considered a father through the ear that was pressed against Greg's chest and he tried to slow his breathing to the rhythm of it. Greg was glad that Spike couldn't see his face as the tears rolled down his own cheeks as he gently rocked Spike back and forth.

* * *

><p><em>Two weeks later<em>

"Hey Spike?" Greg knocked on the open door. Jules and Wordy were behind him. Spike was sitting in bed, reading. They had been very cautious up to this point by letting the name Theo take a back burner, but it was time to bring it up. Spike looked up, his face slightly confused. He could pick up on their tone of voice and their demeanor that they weren't there for just a light conversation. "We need to talk."

"It's about Theo." Wordy said as he sat down on the bed next to Spike. Spike suppressed a shudder at the mention of the name. He had never been so scared of someone before. "They are going to take him to trial. They need you to testify." Spike shook his head vehemently. He would have to see Theo again, in person, not just the figure that haunted his dreams and every waking moment. He never wanted to see Theo again. He hoped that a huge black hole would open up underneath Theo and swallow him and never spit him out.

"I know you don't want to see Theo again, but we want him put away for the rest of his life." Greg's voice deepened into a growl when he thought of the man that had caused Spike so much physical, emotional, and mental pain. He wanted to subject the man to years of torture, but he knew that he had to control those urges and let the criminal justice system do their job.

"We're all going to be there with you." Jules added. She wished that She grabbed Spike's hand and held it tightly. She hated the tremors that had started the second they started talking about Theo. Just the name brought out a different side of Spike, a terrified, timid boy.

"I just want you to think about it." Wordy was trying not to pressure his friend. He couldn't imagine being in Spike's shoes right now. "I can't imagine what you are feeling right now, but just know I support you." Wordy gave him a smile. Spike reached his other hand out and grabbed Wordy's hand. He nodded as he looked at the three team members who were his family. These were his brothers and sisters and he His eyes held every bit of emotion that words couldn't even have begun to describe.

"We will get you through this." Jules had to blink back tears at the strength she could feel emanating from Spike. She couldn't even imagine the amount of courage that Spike had and she was proud to call him her brother.

* * *

><p>Once the jury had heard the tear-filled testimony from Spike, their deliberations took only ten minutes. They delivered a guilty verdict on all of the charges that Spike's lawyer could find. Spike almost burst into tears again, but these were happy tears. He knew he could finally start the long healing process now that Theo was going to be bars for more years than the man had left in his lifetime. Theo would rot behind bars. It gave everyone on Team One a great deal of satisfaction knowing how much safer they were.<p>

"Spike?" Jules could tell that Spike was tuned out of the joyful, light conversation that was going on at lunch. They were celebrating the guilty verdict and the return of their team member. Jules gently touched Spike's hand, trying to jar him back from space.

"Don't!" Spike jumped, snatching his hand back as he jerked away from Jules. The guilty look washed over his entire face instantly. "Oh God, I'm sorry." Spike let his head fall in shame. The rest of the table had fallen silent, looking at Spike with a mixture of pity and anger. They wished that none of this had ever happened and that Theo had never been born.

"Don't be sorry. I'm sorry!" Jules wanted to shoot herself for forgetting. The psychologist had talked to the rest of the team about Spike and prepared them on what to expect from Spike as he healed. They needed to be careful not to startle him or jump out at him. They shouldn't scream at him, not that anyone could imagine that. They needed to not rough house with him and while the psychologist didn't want them treating Spike like a baby, they just needed to be careful around him while he was healing. While the physical healing was going smoothly, emotional trauma took a lot longer.

"I-I'm sorry." Spike felt terrible. He could see how guilty Jules looked. "I-I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say. The psychologist said that it was natural and that the others understood, but it still didn't make it any easier for him. He just wished he could go back to the same guy he was before all of this started, but he knew that was impossible. He would always be a little bit different than he was before, but he would be stronger. He could already feel the new strength that was surging through his body. He would not have called himself extremely immature before, but he had gained maturity he didn't even know he was lacking.

"None of this is your fault. We know you are trying your best." Wordy spoke up. The rest of the guys nodded in agreement. It had been hard for Wordy to let the bailiff take Theo away. Wordy had wanted to let his fists do their own brand of justice. Wordy had never been so close from forgetting his officer training and jumping on top of a subject.

"Thanks guys." Spike couldn't remember a moment when he had felt more loved and part of the Team One. They had been the driving force behind him and while they were trying to give him some space, someone was always close. They had told him repeatedly their couches were open, their phones were always on, and their ears were ready to listen. Wordy had offered once he was cleared by the It was extremely comforting. He had known before all of this that they cared about him, but he hadn't imagined the full extent of how much they loved him. He didn't even know how to fathom just how deep their love for them went and the wonderful, unending support they had for him never ceased to amaze him.

* * *

><p>AN: So this is the end. Thanks for sticking around for this crazy, long ride. Is anyone up for a sequel?


End file.
